Tooth-powder distributer.



No. 683,500. Patented Oct. I, |9OI. J. S. SANGEB.

TOOTH POWDER DISTRIBUTER.

(Application ledleb. 15, 1901.)

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-ward uniformly to replace such portion.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN S. SANGER, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

TOOTH-POWDER DISTRIBUTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 683,500, dated October 1, 1901.

Application filed February 15, 1901. Serial No. 47,460. (No model.) v

To all whom it may concer-7o.-

Beit known that I, JOHN S. SANGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at 343 Main street, Orange, county of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tooth-Powder Distributers, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

Heretofore it has been common in toothpowder holders to provide a receptacle which may be shaken in the hand and a portion of the powder discharged through a small orice or to support the holder upon a fixed base and to discharge the powder through a bottom opening having a gate or valve. With both kinds of apparatus it has been found difficult to discharge the powder freely, especially when the powder is composed of precipitated chalk combined with camphor, which mixture is largely used for cleaning the teeth, but has a tendency to pack or consolidate in the holder, so as to be discharged with difficulty through a small aperture. I have discovered that with a receptacle having any shoulders adjacent to the dischargeopening the shoulders are liable to retard the discharge of the powder, and I have therefore devised a tooth-powder holder having the body or receptacle open wholly upon oneend, and in order to discharge the powder freely from such opening I hinge jaws at the opposite edges of the opening and. incline them together at some distance from the opening, so as to form a sloping hopper or passage, through which the powder is readily discharged. Such jaws are preferably extended the whole length of the opening, so as to discharge a portion of the powder simultaneously upon the entire length of the toothbrush, by which the whole mass within the receptacle may be compelled to move down- To absolutely prevent the powder from jamming within the receptacle, I taper the cavity upwardly from the discharge-opening, so that the powder in its descent from the upper to the lower part of the receptacle is constantly moving into an enlarged space, which greatly diminishes the friction between the powder and the walls of the receptacle. With a receptacle and jaws of this character I find that any tooth-powder will move downward freely and may be discharged in greater or less degree by opening the jaws more or less when the tooth-brush is held underneath the same.

This apparatus is especially useful to those who wish to discharge a large portion of the tooth-powder upon the tooth-brush, and as in such cases the tooth-powder is liable to spill from the bristles of the brush I can provide, to catch the surplus powder, a detachable tray beneath the discharge-opening with a nozzle upon one end, adapted to readily pour the surplus powder back 'into the receptacle when desired.

In the annexed drawings I have illustrated a tooth-powder holder adapted to be held in the hand and to be set in a vertical position when not in use, which tends to loosen the powder by shaking it back from the discharge-opening; but such holder can also be mounted upon a stand.

Figure 1 shows the holder for the hand in side elevation; Fig. 2, a central transverse section of the same; Fig. 3, an elevation of the same; Fig. 4, a horizontal section on line 4 4 in Fig. 1; Fig. 5, an end view of the bottoml part of the receptacle or body with the jaws removed, and Fig. 6 an end view of the jaws detached from the body.

The receptacle or body A o f the holder is represented of oblong rectangular shape with closed top and discharge-opening A' upon the whole of the lower end. The top may be closed when the receptacle is adapted to be held in the hand for use; but it is also shown with lugs d, (indicated by dotted lines,) by which it can be fastened upon a wall, and it Would then be provided with a loose cover upon the top, as shown in Fig. 3. The inner walls a of the body are tapered upwardly from the discharge-opening, and lateral ribs a are formed upon the longer edges of the discharge-opening to form hinges for the jaws. The jaws are formed of plates B, having channels b formed thereon to t upon the ribs a and. provided upon the ends with overlapping cheeks h and B', which close the outlet from the receptacle when the jaws are opened or shut. The jaws are inclined together at the mouth B8 between their outer edges and are of suitable length to form a parallel-sided hopper which is continuous with the interior of the body A and of the same dimensions at the top as such body. The powder is thus wholly unobstructed in its movement from the interior of the body to the mouth B3. Two spiral springs C are shown attached to the jaws below the hinges to draw them normally together and keep the mouth B3 closed. Thumb-pieces or levers D are extended from the jaws upward beyond the hinges to receive the pressure of the thumb E and finger E when it is desired to open the jaws and discharge the powder, as shown in Fig. 2, where the end of a tooth-brush F is represented with the powder falling thereon. To center the jaws upon the receptacle, studs G are formed upon the opposite ends of the body A to contact with the upper edges of the cheeks B and b when they are equally closed, and the joint (designated B3 in Fig. 3) is below the middle line of the body.

When not in use, this holder is inverted and set upon its upper end, and as the jaws are held upon the body solely by the tension of the springs C, which press the channels in the jaws upon the ribs a', it is obvious that when it is necessary to refill the receptacle the jaws may be readily detached from the holder by pressing the levers D apart, and thus slipping the jaws olf of the ribs a. When thus separated, the lower end of the receptacle appears as shown in Fig. 5, and the jaws, collapsed together as far as the spring tension necessitates, are shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 4 shows the body A in section directly above the ribs a' and the jaws held thereon by the tension of the springs. This igure also shows the construction of the cheeks, the cheek b extending merely to the center line of the receptacle, while the cheek B is bent to overlap the same and is provided with a marginal flange to close the end opening when the jaws are separated, as shown in Fig. 2. The detaching ot' the jaws from the holder is only desirable in case the holder be closed at its upper end, as in such case a fresh charge of powder can only be inserted in the lower end; butif the receptacle be opened upon the top, as shownin Fig. 3, it can be filled without inverting it, and in such case it can be provided with lugs, as indicated in the dotted lines d, for securing it upon a wall or other support. With such a stationary receptacle a tray may be fixed beneath the same, as is common, to catch any powder that falls olf the brush. The form shown in the drawings is preferred, as it permits the holder to be made in one piece of glass or analogous plastic material, and thus greatly cheapens the cost of construction.

It is obvious that either jaw may be held stationary and the powder discharged by moving the opposite jaw, and I have therefore claimed herein means for separating the edges of the jaws, whether one or both of such jaws be moved to separate them.

I am aware that a contracted mouthpiece has been formed upon one edge of a toothtween the body of the receptacle and the discharge-opening I extend the jaws the whole length of the opening and form them with parallel sides at all corresponding points upon their length. lVith such construction the opening is necessarily rectangular and the joints or hinges of the jaws are parallel with 'one another, and the free edges of the jaws which form the outlet are also parallel. The use of such jaws extending the whole length of the receptacle secures a perfect and prompt discharge of the powder, and although it is preferable to incline the jaws from the extreme sides of the dischargeopening,as shown in the drawings, and thus avoid the formation of any shoulder at the bottom ofthe receptacle, it is immaterial to the operation of the jaws whether they be separated at their base by the whole width of the body A, and I do not limit myself exclusively to such construction, as it is obvious that the jaws may be used with a body having inclined sides at the bottom and the jaws hinged to the edges of such sides. The construction shown is most efficient when the sides of the entire funnel are movable, and thus serve to agitate the powder upon each actuation. Where the spiral springs pass through the mass of the powder, as shown in Figs. l and 2, their coils are vibrated upon each actuation of the jaws, and they thus serve very effectively to loosen the powder and precipitate its movement.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what is claimed herein isl. In a tooth-powder holder, the combination, with a receptacle having a rectangular discharge-opening embracing the whole of the bottom, of two jaws inclined together from the straight sides of such opening, and having hinges fixed to the opposite edges of the opening, and the jaws being provided with means for separating their outer edges to discharge the powder, substantially as herein set forth.

2. In a tooth-powder holder, a rectangular receptacle having discharge-opening at the bottom, and body tapered upwardly from such opening to permit the free descent of the powder, and jaws tted to such opening and movable to and from one another at their edges to discharge the powder when required, substantially as herein setforth.

3. In a tooth-powder holder, the combination, with a suitable body having dischargeopening at the bottom, of jaws inclined together at the sides of such opening, cheeks coperating with the ends of such jaws to re- IOO tain the powder between the same, a spring for pressing the edges of the jaws together, and means for separating the edges of the jaws to discharge the powder, substantially as herein set forth.

4. A tooth-powder holder having a receptacle open upon one end, inclined jaws attached movably to the edges of such opening, cheeks cooperating with the jaws to retain the powder between the same, means for separating the jaws to discharge the powder, and a spiral spring arranged within the powder-receptacle and vibrated by the movement of the jaws, substantially as herein set forth.

5. In a tooth-powder holder, the combination, with a rectangular glass receptacle having discharge-opening at the bottom, of metallic jaws fitted detachably to such opening and movable to and from one another at their edges to discharge the powder when required, and overlapping cheeks cooperating therewith, substantially as herein set forth.

6. In a tooth-powder holder, the combination, with a rectangular glass receptacle having discharge-opening at the bottom and lateral ribs molded upon the opposite edges of such opening, of jaws channeled to fit upon such ribs, means for pressing the jaws together to hold the channels upon said ribs, and the edges of the jaws in contact, and means for separating the jaws to discharge the powder, substantially as herein set forth.

7. In a tooth-powder holder, the combination, with a rectangular body having discharge-opening at the bottom with lateral ribs at the opposite edges of such opening, of jaws channeled to fit upon such ribs and provided with cheeks at the ends to retain the powder, means for pressing the jaws together to hold the channels upon said ribs and the edges of the jaws in contact, and means for separating the jaws to discharge the powder, substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN S. SANGER. Witnesses:

WILLIAM A. LORD, GEO. R. BoYoE. 

